heather's edu255 blog

Sunday, September 20, 2009

My Educational Philosophy My educational philosophy has a lot to do with sustainability and retention. I believe that the purpose of education is actual learning and not merely the memorization of facts etc… I feel that our education system is slowly deteriorating with causes varying from lack of funding to too many guidelines and restrictions. It takes a very dedicated and creative teacher to find a way to incorporate enjoyment into the learning process. I want to become a teacher to make a difference in the lives of children and to be a part of the movement of changing the educational process. I feel that we need to utilize many learning theories and concepts in order to reach the majority of students. Inside most classrooms you will see a teacher at the front of the room spouting information. This information combined with text book reading is used to give a “unit” test. While some students do well, others become lost. Out of those that did well, how many will remember that information in weeks to come? The sooner we recognize different learning styles and teaching techniques the quicker we will reach more students and give education and knowledge a higher purpose.I believe that hands on learning combined with some traditional teaching practices and a new age way of thinking will reach more students as well as help them retain what they learn. I feel that while no child should be left behind every child has the right to learn as much as they can. Maybe this would be better reached through levels of learning and not just letter grades that determine whether the student, and teacher, passes or fails.